I'm convinced dungeon crawlers have always needed skiing physics after Awaysis' newest trailer

Awaysis gameplay trailer - PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct - YouTube

When I shop around for co-op games, I'm rarely swayed by potential for teamplay. No, I want to nudge my friend, say "Is there friendly fire in this?" and then blow their head clean off. So I was impressed when I saw Awaysis' physics-based slide jumps and enemy-propelling magic projectiles, but I was elated when I saw one player seemingly brush their co-op partner off a ledge and into an endless abyss by accident.

Indeed, Awaysis looks like a souped-up classic Zelda but it plays a bit like Gang Beasts or Human Fall Flat in that physics are everything. In its latest trailer, which popped up at today's PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, there's a detailed look at how ramps, concaves, and half-pipes in the environment cause players to slow down, speed up, and fly to ludicrous heights like they're marbles in a miniature skate park.

When the game first debuted, developer 17-bit described both Gang Beasts and pinball as inspirations, but it's a little hard to conceptualize until you see it in action. The new preview offers a taste of the funny friend-killing scenarios, of course, but it also struts how physics-driven combat can reflavor the classic dungeon crawl.

You can bat enemies off ledges by pushing them back with fireballs, outpace hordes by building up momentum down slopes, and so on. The open, ramp-filled arenas we see in the trailer seem tailor-made for these sorts of improvised strategies. It's a far cry from 17-bit's previous games, like the Advance Wars-inspired Skulls of the Shogun and shmuppy roguelike Galak-Z, but I suppose if you leap across genre lines with every new game no one can ding you for being predictable.

The trailer also shouts out Hirokazu Tanaka's soundtrack, which already sounds saucy and eclectic between its booming synth basslines and funky guitar hits. Tanaka's resume includes the likes of Metroid, Earthbound, and Dr. Mario—I'd be bragging if he was making music for my game, too.

Awaysis doesn't have a release date, but you can still wishlist it on Steam.

Check out every game, trailer, and announcement in the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct.

Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's probably birdwatching or daydreaming about a glorious comeback for real-time with pause combat. Any day now...

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.